Esophageal airway management device guides

Abstract

And the esophageal airway management device guide insertable in a patient's trachea with minimum throat, esophageal or tracheal injury having a distal section softer than an intermediate section which also may have a proximal section softer than the intermediate section.

1. An esophageal airway management device guide for positioning extraglottic (EAD) and subglottic (SAD) airway devices insertable in a patient's trachea or esophagus and configured for preventing throat, esophageal or tracheal injury comprising:
 a) a slender dual function flippable insert having a length from about 30 cm to about 90 cm and a diameter from about 2 mm to about 5 mm depending on the patient's size; 
 b) said insert being an integrally connected slender dual function flippable insert having integrally connected first angled and second non-angled throat insertable end sections separated by an intermediate section; 
 c) said first and second throat insertable end sections each having front and rear portions; 
 d) said first insertable end section's front portion extending from about 0.5% to about 20% of the total length of said slender insert and said second insertable end sections' front portion extending from about 0.5% to about 50% of the total length of said slender insert; 
 e) said first insertable and second insertable end sections' front portion having an end tip; 
 f) each of said first insertable and second insertable end sections' end tip being a blunt end tip; 
 g) said first insertable and second insertable end sections comprising a soft, malleable and ductile material extending from said first insertable and second insertable end sections' front portion end tip through said first insertable and second insertable end sections' rear portion; 
 h) said intermediate section positionable in the patient's throat comprising a stiff, malleable and ductile material stiffer than said soft malleable and ductile first and second insertable end sections and having a selected hardness of between about 50 SHORE A to about 90 SHORE D; 
 i) said first and second insertable end sections having a SHORE hardness approximately 20% to approximately 30% less than said selected hardness of said intermediate section; 
 j) said first insertable end section insertable into a patient's trachea; 
 k) said second insertable end section insertable into a patient's esophagus; and 
 l) said first insertable end section is bent at an angle of about 25° to about 45° with respect to said intermediate section. 
 
   
   
     2. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said slender insert is a tube. 
 
   
   
     3. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said slender insert is solid. 
 
   
   
     4. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said first and second insertable end distal sections' SHORE hardness is constant from said first and second insertable end sections' front portion end tip through said first and second insertable end sections' rear portion. 
 
   
   
     5. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said first and second insertable end sections' SHORE hardness increases continuously from said first and second insertable end sections' front portion end tip through said first proximal and second insertable end sections' rear portion. 
 
   
   
     6. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said first and second insertable end sections' SHORE hardness increases in a series of steps from said first and second insertable end sections' front portion end tip through said first and second insertable end sections' rear portion. 
 
   
   
     7. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said plastic is from the group consisting of a medical grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a medical grade silicone plastic, and a medical grade polyethylene. 
 
   
   
     8. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said slender insert includes insertion depth indicating means. 
 
   
   
     9. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said insertion depth indicating means includes measuring indicia. 
 
   
   
     10. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 8 , and wherein:
 a) said insertion depth indicating means is color coding. 
 
   
   
     11. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said first insertable end section is bent at an angle of about from 25° to about 45° with respect to said intermediate section and upon withdrawal is reshaped. 
 
   
   
     12. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 1 , and wherein:
 a) said first insertable end section is bent at an angle of about 35° with respect to said intermediate section. 
 
   
   
     13. An esophageal airway management device guide as in  claim 11 , and wherein:
 a) said bent first insertable end section conforms to said esophageal management device during insertion and withdrawal.